The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-12-22
A RUN TO THE A


It's I55 miles from Main street In Mem
phis TO Canal street in New Orleans by way
Of the Valley railroad. The train leaves just
in time for the tourist TO miss supper in the
former city and arrives just in time to miss
breakfast in the latter.
II is thus when he takes the night train.
The road parallels and hugs the Mississippi
river. The man who conceived this line Of
railroad was a cold-blooded money-makcr
who knew a good thing when he saw IL, par
t~icularly when som other fellow bad il. In
this instance the river men had the cotton
business Of the w~ondrously fertile BOTTOMS
and the coast supply trade. Now this rail-
road, with It's spurs and out-rcachings-it is
beginning to take the shape, on the map, Of
a long, lank centipode-has played the mis-
chief with the river M and IL grows
rich At the expense Of the steamboats,. II
has been ever thus since the frst railroad
was built in America. II is the faster nag
and wins on It's merits.
The floating palace" OF the elder day was
a thing OF beauty, but not a Joy forever. IL
IL not rs pleasant 10 travel 500 miles with no
more opportunity for physical exercise than
that Afforded In changing ones legs from the
arm Of the scat TO the plush Of the opposite
divan, varied by nm occasional excursion to
the smoking CART is not rs pleasant 10
travel In this way rs by steamboat, with It's
long reaches OF cabin and deck It's comfort.
able s'atc-rooms' It's arrangements and
It's parior-like appointments nut u Is a
great deal quicker. and before once muscles
become altogether paralyEed from cramped
positions, he disembarks NJ MS Destination.
Against this desideratuin OF rapidity OF
transit the steamboats, put excellence OF
cuisine, comfortable accommodation ana
hospitable entertainment But without avail
The public entirely OH win TIE oIu Owe
and ON with The new ave when the traveller,
an idler or n shipper, can Afford To wait ana
make terms accordingly.
The shrieks OF the valley roads iocono'
uyes can be heard on the Hver' mocking the
notes OF the steamers whistles mourniuI IN
tone, as " IN melancholy protest against INC
usnrpation. The steamers that carried the
tradeof this beautiful valley IN the old Time
were then the sole vehicles; now ihey take
what the railroad does not care Tor It's sal
Office, when one contrasts 1t with The splen-
80
changes Of condition must be IN TINS world
Of change. The policy OF business
Il business IL ~ morsclcss' anu
the sigh which the philosopher
gives for the pleasant things OF an old re-
gime Is not always a sigh OF regret The
spirit Of progress Is iconaolastic. And the
Valley railroad booms along merrily, serene
ly indifferent TO the ducks and dHakes II
has made OF the river business.
There Is no railroad which 10 distinctly
challenges the steamboat interest as does
this one. Its relation to the river Is that OF
o deliberate and aggressive rival. The re-
gion through the heart ct which II cuts Is
the richest cotton land In the world and be-
fore the war, the transportation OF It's
products made sieatn-boating immensely
profitable. Now the planter, with the rail
road and the steam boats both accessible, en-
joys the advantage Of a competition which
the wheat farmer Of the northwest, having
railroads alone 10 depend ON for the move
mcnt u his crop, must regard with envy.
The Valley railroad IL but ono link In the
chain 81 railroads known collectively
as the Huntington system, and
when one studies the resources
~ the sections travcrscd by this
system he cannot fail 10 admire the sagncity
with which u was conceived. IL starts nj
Newport News and. after bisecting Virginia,